About Me

I have more than 15 years of experience as a professional photojournalist and most recently spent five years as a staff photographer at the Rochester Post-Bulletin newspaper in Rochester, Minnesota. I quit my job in October 2012 to focus on freelance photography and raising my five-year-old son Oskar and his little brother William. I am available to shoot weddings, portraits, events and editorial assignments in the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota, and am certainly up for destination weddings as well!

I graduated from the Missouri School of Journalism with a M.A. in journalism with a focus on photojournalism and enjoy shooting weddings in a documentary style, with an emphasis on capturing real moments as they unfold before my lens. I also love photographing families and children and capturing the love so freely shared between parents and their little ones.

A native of Michigan's Upper Peninsula (a.k.a. Yooper), I now live in south Minneapolis with my husband Adam, sons Oskar and William, and two wonder cats Isa and Whisky. In my free time I enjoy reading, my amazing book club, getting obsessed with quality t.v. shows, biking, spending too much time in coffee shops, Lake Superior, writing and time with family and friends. I love living in the Twin Cities and finding new and exciting people and places to photograph!

Click here to learn more about the Finnish word "sisu" — the inspiration for my photography.

si-su /see’-soo/ — strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity.

Welcome to SisuPhoto — wedding photography, family photography and more — by Michele Jokinen. SisuPhoto is the opposite of pretentious photography.

I am a formally trained photojournalist with nearly 15 years of experience as a professional shooter. I enjoy shooting in a photojournalistic style, with a focus on capturing candid, intimate moments that are so easy to miss. I would love to use my camera to document your special day and provide memories to last a lifetime! I also love photographing families and children, catching those natural interactions that unfold before my lens. Many of my clients have told me that their favorite photographs were the ones they didn’t even realize were being shot. I love the emotional interactions at weddings and the unexpected moments. I love how every wedding is so different and a wonderful reflection of the personalities of the couples involved and I feel honored that couples trust me to document their day. I love this job, because at the end of the night I get to walk away exhausted but happy, knowing that hours of editing a beautiful day await me.

Along with wedding photography and family photography, I am available to photograph events, head shots and editorial work.

I believe that everybody deserves the right to marry the one that they love.